Describe the usable unit
Threads, timestamps, subject context and permitted attachments. Explain whether the archive preserves the connections between records and the process they represent. File count alone does not show coverage, quality or usefulness.
Ask this before preparing a sample
Ask how exclusions are applied across messages and attachments, and whether sampled threads are complete.
Review sensitive and restricted elements
Personal correspondence, privilege, confidentiality and credentials. Check the actual contents, including hidden fields, metadata, embedded files and related records. Data minimization and de-identification are separate from confirming the right to license the material.
Evidence to bring to a fit discussion
Prepare a schema or category-level description, date range, approximate volume, export format, known gaps and exclusion list. Clearly distinguish measurements from estimates. Do not upload the underlying archive simply to obtain a preliminary opinion.
Compare the proposed use
Ask whether the provider wants training examples, evaluation material, retrieval content or a simulated environment. These are different purposes and should not be bundled into vague unrestricted language. Confirm downstream recipients, duration and any right to sublicense.
Tests to agree before a sample
- Inspect nested forwards and attached messages for excluded content.
- Test whether a thread export preserves ordering and referenced attachments.
- Distinguish business correspondence from personal or privileged messages requiring separate review.